JEDDAH, 6 June 2005 — The Sawarikh Market in the south of Jeddah was set up in the 1970s and it still attracts a large number of customers. The market’s primary attraction of the market is that virtually anything is available there at the lowest prices. The problem, however, is that quality cannot be guaranteed.
Mechanics go to the market in order to buy spare parts since many market traders purchase old stock from car companies at low prices and then sell them to make a profit. Abdul Rahman, who has worked in the market for nearly 10 years, said different products from electrical and electronic goods to plumbing materials and household goods were sold there.
“We cannot say whether the products are good or bad. We buy them from companies when they sell their old stock. We are not responsible for the quality of the products,” he explained.
Some companies sell products with manufacturing defects cheaply. “Some products cannot be used because of technical faults but traders in the market sell them as brand new products,” he pointed out. Saudi, Sudanese and Indian mechanics are the principal customers.
For Khaled Al-Johani, visiting the market and looking for unusual items there is a hobby. “I visit the market every Friday to look for rare and strange things. I have been doing it since my childhood and I enjoy it,” he added.
Muhammad Mahjoub, who is a mechanic in a workshop, said he visited the market almost every day to get used spare parts which are still in good condition. “There are some parts which are like new ones,” he added.
Abdul Salaam who sells original spare parts, warned people against purchasing mechanical items from the Sawarikh Market. “Many people buy them since they are cheap but they overlook the dangers,” he said.
On the other hand, Abdullah Yahya, who has a shop which sells spare parts from used stock, has a different story to tell, one which Abdul Salaam may not like. He says some traders of “original” spare parts buy products from the Sawarikh Market.
Sawarikh poses a big challenge to the Tashleeh (junkyard) market on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway. At Tashleeh, parts of damaged cars, especially those which have been in accidents, are sold at comparatively cheap rates.
According to one man who works at Tashleeh, those who buy spare parts from the Sawarikh are putting their lives in danger. Abdul Ghani Al-Samkari, who sells original spare parts, urged the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to take action against those selling substandard and dangerous spare parts in the Sawarikh market.
